French’s International Copyrighted (in England, her Colonies, and 
the United States) Edition of the Works of the Best Authors 



No. 

330 

A SCHOOL 1 

JOY’S DREAM 

PS 635 

. Z9 

H297 
Copy 1 

. 

A Play in 

* 

Two Acts 

~ 

■» 

BY 

k 


ANNIE E. HARRIS 


Copyright, 191(5, by 

SAMUEL FRENCH 

t 

NOTICE. — Amateurs may produce this play with¬ 
out payment of royalty. 


PRICE 25 CENTS 

New York 
SAMUEL FRENCH 

PUBLISHER 

28-30 WEST 38th STREET 

London 

SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 

26 Southampton Street 
STRAND 













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A SCHOOL HOY’S DREAM 


A Play in Two Acts 


BY 

ANNIE E. HARRIS 


Copyright, 1916, by SAMUEL FRENCH 


NOTICE.—Amateurs may produce this play with 
out payment of royalty. 


NEW YORK 

SAMUEL FRENCH 


PUBLISHER 

28-30 WEST 38TH STREET 


LONDON 


SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd., 

26 SOUTHAMPTON STREET 

STRAND 





/ 

A 



A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 




A 

A 


< 

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRODUCING A 
SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 

In selecting the cast for A School Boy’s Dream 
the following suggestions may help: 

Tom, the school boy, is a freshman in High 
School: his mother is a bustling, matronly person: 
the Fairy Queen a dainty little sprite. The Mother 
Goose characters should conform in appearance and 
costume to the time honored representations to be 
found in illustrated copies of the Rhymes. Tissue 
paper patterns for many of their costumes can be 
procured from one or another of the pattern pub¬ 
lishing companies. 

The King of the Golden River should be a tiny 
boy dressed in hose and doublet of dark brown 
against which his long golden-red wig will show to 
advantage: Gluck’s costume should be a peasant’s 
smock of natural colored burlap or other rough 
weave. A glance at the illustrations in books from 
which the characters are taken will suggest more 
than pages of description. 

For costume materials, sateen and percaline are 
splendid substitutes for satin and silk: Cinderella’s 
chiffon evening gown may be fashioned from the 
cheapest grade of cheese cloth: Crusoe’s primitive 
suit may be achieved by cutting bias strips of cambric 
about six inches wide and slashing them into fringe 
which is then basted in overlapping tiers upon 
foundation trunks. 

The stage furniture should be arranged to leave a 
good clearing in the center. 

2 

/ 

SEP 23 1916 

§>CI.D 44965 



A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


CAST OF CHARACTERS. 
ACT I. 


Tom, the Schoolboy 
Tom’s Mother 
The Fairy Queen 
Boy Blue 

Old Mother Hubbard 
Little Lord Fauntleroy 
Cinderella 

A Palmer Cox Brownie 
Tom Tom, the Piper’s son 
Jack and 
Jill 

Jack Spratt 
Simple Simon 
His Wife 

Simple Simon 
Little Miss Muffet 
Man in the Moon 
Little Bo Peep 
Old King Cole 
Mary Contrary 
TIumpty Dumpty 
Peter Pumpkin Eater 
Little Jack Horner 
Jack Be Nimble 


3 



A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM 





CAST OF CHARACTERS. 




ACT II. 

Alice in Wonderland 
The Hatter 
Little Eva 
Topsy 

Tom Sawyer 
Tom Sawyer’s Aunt 
Hiawatha 
Minnehaha 
Rip Van Winkle 
King Arthur 
Jack Minot (Miss Alcott’s Jack and Jill) 
Janey Pecque 

The King of the Golden Rover 
Gluck 

Robinson Crusoe 











THE SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM 


ACT I. 

Scene:— A library interior. Big table at back of 
stage with many books scattered about. Couch 
at r. front, armed rocker at l. center. School¬ 
boy, seated back to audience zvith elbows on 
table. He takes up first one book and then an¬ 
other, flits over the pages and puts the book 
down. Rises and runs fingers through his hair. 
Wanders about zvhile talking. 

Boy. That’s what I call adding insult to injury! 
It’s bad enough, as every one knows, to write a com¬ 
position when you have the subject given to you; but 
when you have to choose your own subject that 
makes it ten times worse. ( Seats himself on arm of 
rocker) I’ll bet old Griffin would be hard put to 
name his favorite story character. Who can pos¬ 
sibly pick out a character from so many! One 
minute I think I like old Rip Van Winkle the best, 
and the next minute I’m sure he isn’t any better than 
Robinson Crusoe. There was Christian, that poor 
plodder in Pilgrim’s Progress, but I don’t know that 
I like him any better than King Arthur ;—no ! I’m 
sure I don’t. 

It’s altogether how you look at them, what mood 
you’re in. I’ve never wholly given up my love for 
Cinderella nor the wicked Bluebeard, but I suppose 
I should scandalize old Grif if I should write about 



6 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 




one of those. He’ll expect us to write about some 
of those deep guys that nobody understands,—Jean 
Valjean, or the Marble Faun. I’d do it, too, if I 
could squeeze out a single paragraph, but I’m as dry 
as a desert so far as they are concerned. ( Rocks 
slowly without speaking, then slaps knee, as the 
thought comes) By George! I could do that. Alice 
in Wonderland is the very thing. ( Goes to table 
and picks up pen. Puts it down and walks back 
center) But she’s a girl and the fellows would guy 
me. I’d better take some one my size. 

Mother’s Voice. ( Outside) Tom, are you 

studying ? 

Boy. Sure thing! {Aside) harder than I’ve 
studied for one while, I can tell you. Gee! it makes 
my head ache. {Seats himself on couch) I’d like 
to curl up and take a nap. I can’t think of anything 
to write anyway. {Spreads afgan over himself and 
sinks back among the pillozvs) 

{Enter l. 2 the Fairy Queen, keeping well in the 
background. She approaches the couch and 
waves her wand over his head, then flits away at 
sound of voice.) 

Mother’s Voice. {Outside) Tom! (Mother 
appears on stage and looks about) Why, bless me! 
the boy is asleep ! {She feels his head) I do believe 
they make him study too hard. {Looks at books on 
table) But these are story books. He told me he 
was studying. I’ll have to have a talk with him 
when I get home from the Club. {Exit) 

{Enters l. the Fairy Queen beckoning to Little 
Boy Blue l., and saying:) 

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn 

The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


7 

Where’s the little boy who should study hour keep? 
He’s here on the sofa fast asleep. 

( Fairy Queen motions Boy Blue to blozv his horii. 
Let cornet in wings play a measure or two. The 
Schoolboy does not waken. Boy Blue goes to 
back of stage'and rests his elbozvs on table while 
reading a book. Fairy Queen beckons again l. 
Enters Old Mother Hubbard. She wanders 
about the room searching for something. Boy 
•Blue sees her.) 


Boy Blue. What are you hunting for. Old 
Mother Hubbard? 

Old M. H. A bone, child, a bone for my poor 
old dog. ( Continues hunting) 

Boy Blue. You won’t be likely to find one here. 

Old M. H. Then my poor old dog will die! 

Boy Blue. I need a dog to look after my sheep, 
so I can crawl under the haystack and sleep. 

Old M. H. You’re a lazy fellow, Boy Blue! My 
dog would hardly care to serve a sleepy head. You’d 
probably let him starve. 

Boy Blue. Indeed I wouldn’t. 

Old M. H. Where would you get food for him? 

Boy Blue. My father would let me have all I 
want for him. 

Old M. H. Have you a father ! I never heard of 

him. 

Boy Blue. Of course! All boys have fathers. 
Aline is very rich. He has acres and acres of 
meadow where the cows cat grass all day, and acres 
and acres of corn to keep them through the winter. 
We have plenty of milk and butter and cheese, and 
beef whenever we want it. Then the sheep give us 
wool for our clothes and meat for our table too. 

Old AI. H. Well! That’s a new idea! My- dog 
gives me nothing but trouble. 


8 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Boy Blue. Then I’ll tell you what to do. You 
sell your dog to me and buy a cow. You can 
pasture her in your little front yard and she’ll give 
you milk enough so you can sell some. Save up 
your money till you have enough to buy another and 
pretty soon another. After awhile you’ll be very 
rich and your cupboard will never be bare. 

Old M. H. ( Eagerly ) Are you sure? 

Boy Blue. ( Grandly ) Oh, the scheme can’t fail 
if you manage right. 

Old M. H. Come then, let us not delay. ( Exeunt 

R.) 

(Enter from opposite sides Lord Fauntleroy l. and 

Cinderella r.) 

Lord F. Excuse me, pretty lady, who are you ? 

Cind. Why Fauntleroy, don’t you know me? 

Lord F. No, really. 

Cind. Then I must tell you that which will make 
you remember. Let us sit down. ( Sits in armed 
rocker, while Fauntleroy brings cricket and sits by 
her knee) Long years ago my father, being left 
alone with me, married a widow who had two 
daughters. 

Lord F. ( Starting up) Are you Little Two 
Eyes ? 

Cind. No, Fauntleroy, now listen. My step¬ 
mother cared only for her own daughters and I was 
given hard and lowly work to do. I worked all 
day- 

Lord F. Among the cinders! I know you now. 
Where are your glass slippers? 

Cind. The prince, my husband, keeps them locked 
up in his safe. 

Lord F. I wish the prince had come with you. 

Cind. The Boy didn’t call him; in fact I think he 
forgot, as most people do, that I am married. 



A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


9 


Lord F. Oh, are you ? I thought you were a little 
girl, older than I, of course, but not a married lady. 
That rather spoils it for me. ■ 

Cind. Fauntleroy, you surprise me! Often and 
often when Dearest has been reading to you I have 
heard you say to her when the story was nearly done, 
“ Did they marry and live happy ever after? ” 

Lord F. Oh, yes. I always want to know that, 
but I never really and truly think of them as actually 
married. I just want to know that’s the way the 
story turns out, but I have to think of them the way 
the story begins. 

Cind. How do you wish us to think of vou, 
Fauntleroy, as a little boy teaching his grandfather 
a thing or two about politeness, or as a grown-up 
man ? 

Lord F. Oh! I never grew up. You know, I 
think that’s the very nicest thing Mrs. Burnett ever 
did for me. She let me stay a little boy. Don’t you 
think it was a lot better than making me grow up 
and grow old ? 

Cind. ( Doubtfully ) Perhaps; but it is pleasant 
to be married and live happy ever afterwards. 

Lord F. It is just as pleasant, I am sure, to be a 
little boy and ride on a pony and bow to my people 
when I meet them in the park. ( Rising ) That 
makes me think! Dearest and I are making a sur¬ 
prise for Grandfather, and I promised her I would 
soon return. Will you excuse me ? 

Cind. Of course. I told the prince I wouldn’t 
be gone a minute. The Boy seemed to want me. 

Lord F. I thought he wanted me! 

Cind. To tell the truth, I don’t think he knows 
what he wants. ( Exeunt ) 

(Enters a Palmer Cox Brownie 7 oho says nothing, 
hut hums a little as he pokes his nose into every 
book and under the table and couch. He climbs 


10 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


up on the foot of the sofa and looks earnestly at 
the Boy. Sits astride the Boy and tickles his 
nose with a feather. Boy turns over bodily. 
Brownie jumps dozen to save himself, and con¬ 
tinues his restless wandering till he discovers the 
Fairy Queen watching him intently. He makes 
up to her elfishly, offers his arm, but she drazvs 
herself up haughtily and joints him off with 
her sceptre. He goes reluctantly, looking back 
several times, at which she points more vigor¬ 
ously.) 

(Fairy Queen leans over Boy and listens, then 
waves her zvand, beckons toward wing r.) 

{March music.) 

{Procession of Mother Goose characters enter in 

this order:) 

Tom Tom the Piper’s Son 
Jack 

jm 

Tack Spratt 
His Wife 
Simple Simon 
Little Miss Muffet 
Man in the Moon 
Little Bo Peep 
Old King Cole 
Mary Contrary 
Humpty Dumpty 
Peter Pumpkin Eater 
Little Jack Horner 
Jack Be Nimble 

{They march from r. 2 to center back, Tom Tom 
turns to face audience and marks time while the 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


ii 


others divide alternately left and right and form 
diagonal lines to l. and s. front.) 

(See diagram.) 

Diagram of Mother Goose Characters. 

♦ 

x Tom Tom 

* V. 

Jack x x Jill 
Jack Spratt x x His Wife 
Simple Simon x x Little Miss Muffet 
Man in Moon x x Bo Peep 
Old King Cole x x Mary Contrary 
Humpty Dumpty x x Peter Pumpkin 

Eater 

Little J. Horner x x Jack Be Nimble 

(Tom Tom steps forzvard and recites his rhyme, 
then takes liis place at end of the line r. next 
to Jack Be Nimble.) 

(Jack and Jill come forzvard together and recite 
their verses, separate to ends of lines r. and l., 
both lines moving up to make room. Jack 
Spratt and LTis Wife come together, recite and 
separate. Other characters follow one at a 
time and recite their verses and return to end of 
line they left. When all have performed, the 
characters zvill be in their original positions in 
the lines.) 

(March music.) 

(Tom Tom marches forzvard while the ends of lines 
separate to make room for the other characters 
to swing into position in one strainht line across 
front of stage as curtain descends.) 






12 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


i 

\ 


ACT II. 

Scene:—Boy still sleeping on the couch. Fatry 
Queen is perched on table. Enters Alice in 
Wonderland hunting anxiously under chairs 
and behind the table. Presently she gives up the 
search and stands in center of the room in a 
dejected attitude. Enters The Hatter in a 
great hurry, passes rudely by Alice zvho puts 
out her hand to detain him. 

Alice. You should say excuse me when you pass 
in front of people. Don’t you know it’s very rude? 

Hatter. Dear me ! Who are you ? 

Alice. I’m Alice, or I was before I changed. 

Hatter. Changed what? 

Alice. Oh, myself. 

Hatter. ( Scratching his chin) Never heard of 
that before. Now, I change my shoes when they 
are wet and my collar when it’s soiled, but I never 
changed myself. Tell me how it’s done. I’d like to 
do it. 

Alice. Why ? 

Hatter. Don’t be inquisitive. It would be con¬ 
venient, that’s all. In fact, it’s the only way out of 
the trouble. 

Alice. What is the trouble ? 

Hatter. I told you not to be inquisitive. 

Alice. ( Suddenly remembering) Oh, dear, if I 
only could find them. 

Hatter. What’s lost. 

Alice. Don’t be inquisitive. This affair is mine 
and the Queen’s. 

Hatter. ( Solemnly) The Queen has lost some 
tarts. 

Alice. (With scorn) I know it. 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


i3 

Hatter. ( Wiping his eyes on his fist) And she 
says I took them, but it was the Knave. 

Alice. So that’s your trouble! What do you 
care ? 

Hatter. She’ll have my head off. 

Alice. She sent me to hunt for them and said the 
Duchess took them. 

Hatter. So that’s what you have lost. 

Alice. No, I haven’t lost them but I am expected 
to find them. Iff don’t, she said she’d have my head 
off. 

Hatter. ( Dejectedly ) Say, but we’re in hard 
luck. 

(Fairy Queen picks up shazvl from a chair, spreads 
it and hustles Alice and The Hatter off to 
front corner of stage l. while enters Boy’s 
Mother with a plate of tarts which she sets on 
stand.) 

Mother. ( Tiptoeing cautiously) You poor 
tired out boy. It is unreasonable to expect you to 
work so hard in your lessons. I believe I’ll let you 
sleep and to-morrow I’ll send a note to your teacher 
warning her how tired you are. (Exit) 

(Fairy Queen, Alice and The Hatter return to 
center. Alice spies the tarts.) 

Alice. Oh! here they are. 

Hatter. What T 

Alice. The tarts. Goody! Now I shall not lose 
my head. Let’s take them to the Queen. 

Hatter. I don’t like the idea. 

Alice. What would you suggest ? 

Hatter. Let’s eat them. I’ve had nothing since 
tea. 

Alice. I haven’t had tea yet. 


14 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Hatter. Then you should have a tart, for that 
begins and ends with T. 

Alice. How clever! (Taking one) Thank 
you. 

Hatter. (Having taken a generous bite) Pretty 
good, eh? (Alice nods) Say it out loud, nobody’s 
listening. 

o 

Alice. ( Reprovingly) "It’s not polite to talk with 
your mouth full. 

Hatter. Nowhere near full. I could put a whole 
one in easily. (Takes the third and last tart and 
crams it in) 

Alice. (Looking wistfully at the dish) I did 
want a piece of that tart. It isn’t very polite of you 
to take the whole of the last one without even offer¬ 
ing me a piece. 

(Hatter continues to dispose of liis tart. When it 
is all swallowed he speaks.) 

Hatter. I’ve heard it said- 

Voice of the Queen. {From without) Off with 
their heads! 

i 

(Alice and The Hatter start up, grab each other 
by the hand and flee l. pursued by a loose pack 
of cards hurled from wing r. Enters Topsy 
pushing Little Eva in a wheel-chair. They 
stop for their conversation, during which Topsy 
cuts all sorts of restless capers.) 

<? 

Eva. Tojisy dear, you must be good. 

Topsy. What’s good? 

Eva. Why, Topsy, don’t you know? It’s doing 
as you’re told and not stealing. You mustn’t spoil 
Rosa’s nice clean dress, nor cut up Aunt Ophelia’s 
ribbons. 



A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


15 

Topsy. (Rolling eyes) I reckon I don’t know 
how to be good. What else must I not do ? 

Eva. You must not do any of the naughty, hate¬ 
ful things you happen to think of to make people 
unhappy. 

Topsy. What good would it do to be ever so 
good! Couldn’t never be nothin’ but a nigger if I 
was gooder than anythin’. If I could be skinned 
and come white, I’d try then. 

Eva. But people can love you if you are black, 
Topsy. Miss Ophelia would love you if you were 
good. 

Topsy. (With a laugh) No, she wouldn’t. She 
can’t bear me ’cause I’m a nigger. She’d as soon 
have a toad touch her. Nobody loves niggers. 

Eva. Oh, yes, Topsy! I love you. I love you 
because you’re a poor abused child. Won’t you 
please try to be good for my sake? 

Topsy. Oh, yes, Miss Eva, I’d just love to for 
you. Would folks love me like they do you? 

Eva. Yes, Topsy. 

Topsy. Oh, go ’way! Me! What ain’t got no 
father n’ mother, iT nothin’ ? Lor’ Miss Eva, you’re 
jokin’. 

Eva. No, truly, Topsy, I’m not. Mammy’s 
black, you know, and we love her. Now listen, dear, 
and I’ll tell you what you should do. You be nice 
and polite to Aunt Ophelia and let her teach you 
how to make the beds. 

Topsy. Don’t like to make beds. 

Eva. Oh, Topsy, dear! What do you like? 

Topsy. Candy and sich. 

Eva. ( Laughing) That’s quite likely. But you 
must learn to be useful, Topsy. Aunt Ophelia wants 
you to learn to read and write and sew and take care 
of her things. You want to be useful, don’t you, 
Topsy ? 


i6 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Topsy. Not so sure of that, Miss Eva. It’s a 
heap o’ trouble learnin’ to do things. 

Eva. It’s easier now than it will be later. There’s 
dear old Mammy just now learning to write so she 
can send letters to her children in Kentucky. If you 
learn while you’re a little girl you’ll always know. 

Topsy. Don’t want to know nothin’, Miss Eva, 
but I will if you say so. 

Eva. That’s right, Topsy. Come now, and let 
Aunt Ophelia set you a copy. I’d teach you myself, 
only Mamma thinks I’m not strong enough to do so 
much. I’m teaching Mammy, you know, besides 
reading to Uncle Tom. 

Topsy. I know you is, Miss Eva. You’s got 
troubles enough without me. But I’ll learn just like 
anythin’, just ’cause one reason. 

Eva. What is that, Topsy? 

Topsy. It’s cause you said you love me, Miss 
Eva. 

Eva. All right, you funny, dear old Topsy. Come 
now to Aunt Ophelia. ( Exeunt) 

(.Enters Tom Sawyer, cautiously, on tiptoe.) 

Tom. Where’s the guy that wanted me? (Fairy 
Queen points to the sleeping Boy and Tom looks 
him over critically) You poor thing! I’d play 
hookey if I were you. You don’t have to write com¬ 
positions unless you’re goose enough to stay and be 
bossed around by the teacher. ( Enters Tom’s aunt) 
I’d play hookey. It’s a lot more fun. I’ve done it 
often. 

Aunt. Yes, Tom Sawyer, I know you have, but 
you’d better take care how -you advise other boys 
to such a step. What’s become of the note I sent to 
your teacher telling her why you were absent yester¬ 
day ? 

Tom. ( Surprised by his Aunt’s presence) Oh ! 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


17 

I don’t know, Aunt. I think I left it at home. I’ll 
go and get it. 

Aunt. ( Detaining him) Stop, Tom! Don’t 
think you can get away like that. You probably have 
it in your pocket. Find it. ( She sits dozen in rocker 
and pulls Tom tozvard her. He looks sheepishly to- 
zvard audience and begins to take things from his 
pocket. First a box which he passes to Aunt. She 
opens it and jumps with a scream. Tom zinnks at 
audience) Tom Sawyer, what’s this? 

Tom. ( Meekly) A beetle, Aunt. 

Aunt. What are you saving it for? 

Tom. Me and Huckleberry Finn has a secret over 
the beetle. 

Aunt. What is the secret! ( Severely) I don’t 

approve of Huckleberry Finn! 

Tom. Well, you see I can’t tell because I promised 
Huck I wouldn’t. 

Aunt. Very well! I’ll keep the beetle. Now 
find the note. (Tom proceeds, taking out a bunch 
of string, some marbles, a piece of broken glass from 
a bottle, and a key. Aunt pounces on the key) 
Tom Sawyer, what is this? 

Tom. A key, Aunt. 

Aunt. So I see. It looks surprisingly like the 
pantry key. 

Tom. Yes, it is, Aunt. 

Aunt. And you are planning to steal from my 
pantry. Oh, Tom, you will break my heart. 

Tom. No, Aunt, I wouldn’t steal. I surely 
wouldn’t, but I had the key because it fits the cabin. 

Aunt. What cabin, I should like to know. 

Tom. I can’t tell that, Aunt, ’cause me and Huck 
has a secret about that. 

Aunt. Is there any living thing you and Huck 
don’t have secrets about, you bad boy? What else 
have you? (Tom brings to light a glass stopper, a 
dog collar, six firecrackers, at sight of which Aunt 


i8 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


screams, some pieces of chalk and a knife handle) 
Is that all? 

Tom. I think so, Aunt. 

Aunt. Then you have lost the note! 

Tom. I think so, Aunt. 

Aunt. Tom Sawyer, you are the most exasperat¬ 
in’ young one I ever see! Now I shall chastise you 
and go to school with you myself to see you get there. 
(She grabs Tom and removes her slipper to spank 
him) 

Tom. (Assuming meekness) I don’t want to 
frighten you Aunt, but is that a mouse behind you? 

(Aunt screams and makes a dive for a chair which 
she climbs into and turns round and round look¬ 
ing for the mouse. Meanwhile Tom laughs and 
makes his escape. Aunt, realizing the trick, 
gets sheepishly down and goes off shaking her 
head over her bad, bad boy. Enter from op¬ 
posite sides, Hiawatha and Minnehaha. 
They see each other and advance to meet at 
center. Hiawatha begins a capering dance 
around her, she looks at him shyly but seems 
not willing to yield herself to his entreaties. At 
the close of his dance lie backs off, and she puts 
out her hand to recall him. He comes quickly.) 

Hiawatha.— 

Minnehaha, I have loved thee. 

Long and truly have I loved thee, 

Late and early dreamed about thee 
Dwelling far in the Dakotas. 

When my eyes first looked upon thee 
Fair indeed thou didst appear, 

Sitting by thy father’s doorway 
Like a true obedient daughter; 

And returning to my wigwam 
In the land of the Ojibways 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


19 


There I told the old Nokomis 
What my heart kept saying over, 

“ Minnehaha, Minnehaha, 

Of the land of the Dakotas, 

She it is I mean to bring thee 
For a daughter of thine old age.” 

But Nokomis, quite unwilling 
I should wed a stranger maiden 
Thought to turn aside my purpose 
Saying, “ Strangers are as moonlight, 

Cold and lifeless, dim, unreal. 

Bring not to my tent a stranger, 

But a maiden of your people 
Who shall be as sparkling sunshine.” 

But I answered, “ O Nokomis 
There is no one more like sunshine 
Than the stranger Minnehaha 
Of the far land of Dakota. 

She it is I wish to bring you, 

She of moonlight maids the fairest.” 

So, dear Minnehaha, hear me, 

Come afar through field and forest 
Follow in the way I show you 
To the tent of old Nokomis. 

(Minnehaha sits down and Hiawatha throws 
himself at her feet to hear .) 

Minnehaha.— 

That you love me, Hiawatha, 

Is not new nor unexpected. 

When you visited my father 
And besides the fire sat talking 
I was busy with my weaving 
But I saw you glancing at me, 

Ever glancing, looking slyly, 

And I knew what meant those glances, 

Shaded deep by long, long lashes. 


20 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 

m 


Women read the heart’s deep feeling 
Long before the man is ready 
To divulge the open secret. 

So I knew the happy message 
You were coming back to tell me; 
And beside my father’s doorway 
I have every day been sitting 
Waiting, watching for your coming. 
When adown the shaded pathway, 
Played upon by sun and shadow, 

Far away I saw you coming, 

Knew what words you had to utter, 
Felt my heart leap forth to meet you, 
Minnehaha weak and willing 
Could not keep her feet from hasting 
Down the path to bid you welcome, 
Hiding from you warmer feeling 
Than the simple woodland welcome 
Which the children of Dakota 
Ever give to traveling strangers. 

But alas, dear Hiawatha, 

Women must be ever subject 
To the will of men, their masters, 

So before I yield my members 
Willing slaves to your least mandate 
There is one who claims obedience 
From the little Laughing Water. 

To his side, my dear old father’s, 

You shall take me, there to ask him 
Whether Minnehaha’s lover 
Is the one he’d have her follow. 

Or if still beside his doorway 
She must sit and weave her rushes. 

Hiawatha.—• 

Minnehaha, fairest maiden, 

Ever dutiful, submissive, 

Ever thoughtful of your duty, 

Always mindful of decorum, 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


21 


Come and let us haste to tell him 
Of the love we bear each other 
And to ask a father’s blessing 
On the joining of our pathways. 

Minnehaha. Come away then, Hiawatha. 

Hiawatha. Come, come quickly, Minnehaha. 

Both.— 

For there is no other living 

Whom I would desire before thee. ( Exeunt) 

(.Enters Rip Van Winkle, shambling about as if 
looking for something. He rubs his eyes as if 
sleepy. King Arthur enters with sprightly 
step, sees Rip and halts.) 

King A. What ho! man of tatters! Are you 
friend or foe? 

Rip. ( Meekly ) Oh, I’m friendly enough. 

King A. Yet you seem friendless. How is that? 

Rip. I am without money just at present. Per¬ 
haps that is it. I have a number of congenial friends 
when I have a few bits of coin to jingle. 

King A. How can money make any difference? 

Rip. For the things it will buy, I suppose. 

King A. Oh, that’s it! What do you buy? 

Rip. I buy what will please my friends,—the best 
of Holland gin. 

King A. (Sadly) That explains why you are so 
friendless and poor. But come! tell me your name. 

Rip. Oh, yes, I’ll tell you my name,—Rip Van 
Winkle. What is yours? 

King A. Mine is Arthur, King Arthur. I had a 
kingdom of brave men and beautiful women, and a 
council of one hundred and fifty trusty knights to do 
my bidding. Did you ever hear about my sword, 
and how I drew it from the anvil when all the lords 
of England found the task too hard for them? 



22 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Rip. ( Blinking ) No! I never heard of that. 
Was it a heavy sword? 

King A. Like this. (Drawing sword) I alone 
could draw it out of the anvil where it was buried 
to the hilt. 

Rip. Why was that? 

King A. Because only the rightful king of Eng¬ 
land could move it. Others tried it, but it would not 
budge. 

Rip. I guess you don’t expect me to believe that! 

King A. You are like the lords of England. 
They could not believe it till I had done it five dif¬ 
ferent times. Afterward I gave it to one of my 
knights and the Lady of the Lake gave me another 
one called Excalibur. But tell me, were you ever a 
knight ? And whom did you fight ? 

Rip. You must excuse me, sir, I am not that kind 
of man. I could not fight; it is cruel sport. 

King A. What do you do when your enemies 
attack you? 

Rip. I have but one enemy, sir. I live at peace 
with my neighbors. They find me a gentle soul, a 
gentle, friendly soul. 

King A. And who is that enemy you speak of? 

Rip. (Looking cautiously about and speaking in 
a whisper) My wife. 

King A. (Laughing) One cannot fight a woman. 
How do you meet her attacks. 

Rip. I let her lash me with her tongue awhile and 
then I slip away to the woods with my gun. 

King A. (With interest) What is a gun? 

Rip. This. (Shows gun) 

King A. (Examining) It must be heavy to 
wield. Does it kill as quickly as a sword? 

Rip. It is different from a sword. With a gun 
one may kill his foe at a great distance. 

King A. (Incredulously) Now you don’t ex¬ 
pect me to believe that! 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


23 

Rip. Where have you lived that you don’t know 
about a gun? 

King A. I have lived all my life in England and 
I assure you we have no weapons there but our 
swords and spears. 

Rip. Then you must have lived a long time ago, 
for in these days guns are used everywhere. 

King A. And they kill at long range, you say? 

Rip. Yes,—let us come yonder and I will show 
you how a gun works. ( Exeunt) 

(Enter Jack and Jill, [Miss Alcott’s] . Jill drags 
Jack along by the hand, looking all about . Then 
she claps her hands.) 

Jill. We got here first, Jack Minot, thanks to 
me. I was half afraid the Eight Cousins or the Old- 
fashioned Girl would beat us. 

Jack. Well, what are we here for anyway? 

Jill. ( Pointing to the sofa) Sh! it’s the boy. 
He wants to decide which story book person is the 
best of all he knows. Now I say we are the best and 
we can’t be separated, so he must take us both. 

Jack. That’s so. {Puzzled) Where will he 
take us? 

Jill. He’ll put us in a composition if he decides 
we are the best. 

Jack. {Trying to pull her away) Indeed no! 
Jill! I wouldn’t be so mean as to make a boy write 
a composition. Let’s leave him in peace. Composi¬ 
tions are awful! 

Jill. {Shaking herself loose) That’s true 
enough; but he has to write one anyhow, so it might 
as well be about something interesting. 

Jack. What could he say about us ? 

Jill. Oh, he could tell how you and I pitched of! 
the bank into the road that day we were coasting. 

Jack. That was your fault, you madcap Jill! 




24 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Jill. And he could tell how we had a Christmas 
tree in the Bird Room, and how we acted little plays 
oh Washington’s Birthday. 

Jack. And how you broke your back a second 
time trying to get hold of a letter that didn’t belong 
to you. 

Jill. No, Jack, nothing unpleasant like that! 
I’m surprised you’d mention it. He’d sooner tell 
how you earned money and paid off that debt for 
Bob Walker. 

Jack. If he tells that he must be sure to tell also 
who it was that saved me from disgrace by ferreting 
out the reason I followed Jerry Shannon into the 
saloon to give him the money. 

Jill. Well yes, that would be a good thing to tell. 
But it wasn’t so very clever after all, for you went 
to sleep on the rug and talked about it in your sleep. 
All I did was put the scraps together. 

Jack. It was mighty good of you anyway, Jill, 
and I was glad enough to get the old secret off my 
mind. Mother called you St. Lucy for getting me 
out of the scrape. Do you remember the story she 
told about Frank fighting dragons and me going 
about like a knight errant fighting other people’s 
battles ? 

Jill. Yes, I remember it all very well, for that 
was the day I first knew that I should not always 
have a lame back. It was wonderful, Jack, for I 
had made up my mind to stand it and not complain 
one single mite. 

(Voice heard outside humming snatches of “The 

Brook.”) 

Jack. Listen Jill! ( Both assume listening at¬ 
titude) What is that? 

Jill. Some one else is coming. I suppose we’ll 
have to go, ( Reluctantly ) but surely we are the best 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 



A SCHOOL BOY S DREAM. 25 

ones for the Boy to write about. (Stands looking at 
him a moment) I hope he will think we are. 

(Voice zvithout grozvs louder and Jack pulls her 

azvay.) 

Jack. Come, Jill, we don’t want to be seen. 
Hurry! ( Exeunt) 


{Enters The King of the Golden River, a tiny boy 
zmth long flowing golden hair. He strides along 
singing.) 

Men may come 
And men may go, 

But I go on for ever, ever, 

I go on forever. 

Gluck. {In wing) Oh, please, sir! 

King G. R. I know how to get the best of them 
all right. Such meanness I cannot abide. They 
just about starve that little Gluck and he’s the best 
of the lot. They thrashed him for cutting the roast 
to give Southwest Wind a piece. 

Gluck. {Still outside) Oh, please, sir! 

King G. R. Bless his heart! He shall have his 
reward as sure as Em a foot high. 

Gluck. {Entering) Oh, please, sir, my brothers 
are very angry! 

King G. R. {Striking his chest) Em very angry 
myself, young man. 

Gluck. {In surprise) *Why should you be 
angry ? 

King G. R. Em angry because those rascally 
brothers of yours should thrash you so soundly for 
telling the truth. They do not believe what I told 
you this afternoon about the Golden River. Isn’t 
that enough to make a king angry! 


26 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


Gluck. ( Meekly) Oh, yes, sir. 

King G. R. But I tell you again, Gluck, and I 
want you to stick to it, that whoever shall climb to 
the source of the Golden River and shall cast three 
drops of holy water into the stream, for him, and for 
him alone, the river shall turn to gold. 

Gluck. I did tell them that, sir, and they only 
beat me the more. 

King G. R. That’s all right, Gluck my boy; you 
tell them again in the morning. They’ll beat you no 
more, I promise you. 

Gluck. What! never again ? 

King G. R. Never again! You’ve had your last 
beating for all your life. 

Gluck. Oh, thank you, sir,—Your Majesty, I 
mean. Nothing will make my brothers good natured 
sooner than gold. They will be very happy. 

King G. R. Perhaps they will. Perhaps —Run 
now to bed, friend Gluck. Your family troubles are 
over. : 

Gluck. Thank you, sir,—Your Majesty, I mean. 

(Exit Gluck) 

King G. R. ( Looking after him) I didn’t tell 
him that his two black brothers would have to be 
turned to stones, but they will. For Gluck alone the 
Treasure Valley shall blossom again. (Abrupt 
change of manner) But this won’t do for me! 
(Sings) 


Men may come, and men may go 
But I go on forever, 

(Exit, still singing .) 

I go on forever. 

(Enters Robinson Crusoe, sighting the room zvith 


‘A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM. 


27 

shaded eyes. After looking in all other direc¬ 
tions he spies the sofa and the Boy.) 

Rob. Crusoe. Ah, ha! A ship without a rudder. 

I must warn the captain of his danger. ( Seizes the 
Boy by his shoulder and shakes him vigorously. 
The Boy rouses up, sleepily rubbing his eyes.) 

Boy. Oh, I say! What’s the matter ? Who are 
you to shake me up like that! 

Rob. Crusoe. I am your friend come to warn you 
of danger. You’re drifting hopelessly. Head up 
there, Boy, and see who I am! 

Boy. ( After more careful scrutiny claps his 
hands for joy) Oh, sure ! you are Robinson Crusoe. 
I’m glad to see you! Where’s Friday ? 

Rob. Crusoe. To-morrow is Friday, my boy, and 
that composition due. Why do you waste time in 
sleep when you know it has to be written. 

Boy. (Apologetically) Well—you see—I 

couldn’t just think what I ought to write about. 

Rob. Crusoe. Tut! tut! that’s a poor excuse. Do 
you think Prof. Griffin will accept it when you face 
him to-morrow with your task not done! 

Boy. No, I suppose not, but the more I thought 
about it the less I could tell what to write. 

Rob. Crusoe. Very likely. But you thought of 
me along the first, didn’t you? (Boy nods) Well 
then, why won’t I do! 

Boy. You will, of course. I always loved the 
adventures you had on that lonely island. I’d like 
a try at such a job myself. 

Rob. Crusoe. ( Teasingly) No doubt you’d lie 
down on the sand to think about it and let the savages 
come and eat you alive!' 

Boy. No, no! See! (Going to the table to bring 
back paper and pencil) I am not always.a sleepy 
head. I can work very well when I know what to 
do. I shall say in this composition that I like you 


28 


A SCHOOL BOY’S DREAM.' 


for your courage in swimming out to the wreck, and 
for your ingenuity in building a stockade for protec¬ 
tion. Old Grif will like that because he believes in 
preparedness. You were a sailor and I’d like to be 
that. I’d like to be as brave a hunter and as good a 
carpenter. You were a good farmer too, and you 
had your wits about you all the time. Everybody 
admires you for that. 

Rob. Crusoe. ( Drawing himself up) I am a 
shining example of industry, patience, foresight, and 
ingenuity! You could never do better than to write 
about me. 

Boy. ( Writing busily) I guess you’re right. 
The others were rather nice though, and I’m very 
glad to think them over. 

Rob. Crusoe. Who were the others? 

Boy. A lot of story book people,—Boy Blue, Old 
Mother Hubbard, — (Boy names the entire list. As 
each name is spoken the character appears on the 
stage. If space will permit let the cast gather and 
remain for a final tableau. If not, let cast move 
slowly across stage at back as names are called. 
When the list is complete, Robinson Crusoe, who 
has been watching them thoughtfully, speaks) 

Rob. Crusoe. Pretty grand and gay! It makes- 
me feel rather shabby in my home made togs. 

Boy. Oh, no, dear old Robinson Crusoe, you 
needn’t feel that way a bit, for even the best of them 
would admit you are hard to surpass. ( Then as 
Boy offers his hand they shake hands solemnly) 
You are indeed the very best. 

(Robinson Crusoe bozos his thanks to the Boy, to 
the cast, and to the audience as the) 


CURTAIN DESCENDS. 






















